HRT will display a Japanese flag on their car during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
Team principal Colin Kolles said: “What has happened in Japan is terrible. I would like to express that I was very shocked with what occurred.
“Japan is one of my favourite countries and I have a huge amount of respect for Japanese people and their culture. I am sure they will overcome this terrible situation.”
Narain Karthikeyan, who raced in the Japanese Formula Nippon series in 2002, said: “I have been very upset and disturbed by the news reports coming out of Japan over the past week.
“I raced in Formula Nippon in Japan in 2002 and made many friends there. I have spoken to some of them, and fortunately they are OK. My heartfelt sympathies go out to all the families affected by this tragedy. They are all in our hearts and minds.”
Team mate Vitantonio Liuzzi added: “This is a terrible thing for the Japanese population.
“I am shocked. I cannot watch TV anymore. I feel so sorry for all my friends there, but I am sure that they will come out of this situation stronger than ever. Hopefully they will be able to recover and limit the damage.
“They are a strong population and I am sure they will react soon because they have incomparable dignity and hopefully all the other nations will help in every way possible because this kind of event should make the world unite.”
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RIISE (@riise)
18th March 2011, 19:33
Well they have the colour scheme. It’s good that teams will be showing their support.
marc connell
18th March 2011, 19:36
Well at least it will be seen all the time! “Time to look at last place, and off course its HRT oh look there showing there support for the japanese! how noble! “
Icthyes (@icthyes)
18th March 2011, 19:52
How major must a change be before the team has to officially ask permission to change their livery? Is it a judgement call, or is there a rule about it?
Alianora La Canta
18th March 2011, 20:34
It’s a judgement call, but even if Hispania completely re-did the car I think they’d get permission. One-off liveries have received permission in the past for considerably less cause.
BasCB
19th March 2011, 11:25
I would even go further and say, that many a team principal and Bernie for sure would rather see JAPAN all over the car than having it run with “cool spot”, “this could be You”, etc.
So will it be Japan in a cool spot and the Japanese Red dot on the side pod?
Good idea from HRT certainly.
SupaSix-1
18th March 2011, 20:17
Well its a no brainer for HRT.
Its not as if they have a shortage of space on their car.
Im sure it would be very embaressing for them to race a car with ‘Have your logo here’ at each GP.
So yes..it makes sense for them to do that and astonishingly its probably the 1st best descisions theyve ever made since coming into the sport.
It will be interesting to see what they do for the rest of the races.
DANK
18th March 2011, 21:02
Better than “this could be you” I suppose
DANK
18th March 2011, 21:03
Why can’t they do what Brawn did in 2009? The clean crisp livery with almost no sponsor logos was in my opinion the best one of the grid that year.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
19th March 2011, 1:23
Agreed. I actually really liked the way last year’s HRT looked in testing last month in dark metallic grey with all the orange gone. They could’ve also done just a bare carbon look, which would’ve been a really beautiful, unique, and inexpensive way to go, but I guess no team wants to give up how their carbon is laid up on the car…
Glad they’re showing support for Japan. I hope more/all teams do.
Mike
18th March 2011, 21:18
Good on you HRT.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
18th March 2011, 21:23
Further nice things from the F1 paddock :)
TFLB
18th March 2011, 21:36
Is the whole livery going to be a Japanese flag or will it just be a small sticker of the like?
TFLB
18th March 2011, 21:36
or, not of.
MattHT (@mattht)
18th March 2011, 22:21
A nice touch, and it will probably get all of us (and of course prospective sponsors) looking at their car a bit more.
The Brawn livery was terrible, it looked like a scousers tracksuit with all that luminous green on it :P
David
19th March 2011, 0:36
I would hope all the teams do the same thing!
DavidS (@davids)
19th March 2011, 2:34
I just hope that it doesn’t break down or burst into flames, which it’s liable to do. What kind of message would that send?
sw6569 (@sw6569)
19th March 2011, 9:06
im surprised hrt can afford it
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley)
19th March 2011, 15:03
Whoa! You obviously have no idea then, do you? :P They have more than enough money for a sticker and they’ll be on the podium in Melbourne. (Now imagine if they turned around and did so!)
sw6569 (@sw6569)
19th March 2011, 16:10
well that sounds about as realistic as a normal Kolles promise!
BasCB (@bascb)
21st March 2011, 12:49
That would make you one of the people actually being there on the day HRT rewrote the F1 history books!
The season would be an immediate classic.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
19th March 2011, 10:15
I think all teams should have a spot on their cars to display a message for Japan.
BasCB
19th March 2011, 11:26
A cool spot.
Master firelee (@master-firelee)
20th March 2011, 9:55
same
Vico
19th March 2011, 15:53
Well, they have plenty of space on the car anyways…
Does this mean that Sakon Yamamoto is coming back? :)